Escape Pod episode #235 has been sitting on my smartphone since January because of its beautiful writing and archaeological theme. Jay Lake’s 2009 story “On the Human Plan” is told in a gentleman-rogue style reminiscent of Leiber and Vance, and is set in a far future Dying Earth environment with ambient magic-level tech that is also very Vancian. Here’s a choice snippet for all you diggers:

Anyone with a bit of talent and the right set of bones to throw can foretell the future. It is written in fat-bellied red across every morning sky. But to aftertell the past, that is another trick entirely.

A sad piece of news about Escape Pod is that the podcast’s founder and long-time editor, Steve Eley, is stepping down. He’s just had his second baby, so I really don’t blame him. Thanks for all your stellar (interstellar) work, Steve! And welcome back again one day when tiny Juniorette’s maintenance demands have come down a bit. Meanwhile, reknowned author and podcaster Mur Lafferty is taking over the captain’s seat on the space ship. I can think of no worthier successor!